Equinox Chapter IX

This chapter contains scenes of an adult nature which may not be suitable for younger readers. I don't believe it is any more graphic that Breaking Dawn but would rate it PG13 as a caution. Hope this is not a problem.

Chapter 9

It was a beautiful evening. A warm autumn breeze blew the scent of honeysuckle across her face reminding her of lost passion from another
lifetime. She could hear the music
drifting from the ballroom getting fainter as she made her way across the lawn
towards the clearing. What was she going
to say to him? They both knew that this
was wrong, so why was she meeting him? As she approached the edge of the clearing Ariadne stopped in the shade
of the bushes, just as she had done when she encountered the quarrel between
Aro and Caius. This time the meeting
place was silent and empty, for a moment the young woman felt foolish, doubting
that Aro would come at all. Why would he
need her when he had Sulpicia? The
doubts melted away as she watched Aro silently enter the clearing and sit down
beneath a tree. He hadn’t seen her yet
and she took the opportunity to study him. Aro was an elegant man, but tonight dressed in his dark purple silk
frock coat he was heart achingly beautiful. His long shiny dark hair framed his noble features coming to rest about his shoulders. Ariadne had fallen
under his spell and was compelled to go to him.

The sound of her footsteps caused Aro to look up his sombre features transforming instantly into a broad smile making
his boyish eyes twinkle. He had risen to
his feet before she reached him and tentatively he placed his palm against her
cheek before drawing her whole body towards him.

“You came.” He whispered into her hair.

“You knew that I would come.” She replied allowing Aro’s intense feelings to wash over her.

“I couldn’t be sure. You could have changed your mind. Have you any idea how hard it has been for me not to touch you
again?”

“My poor Aro.” She replied then kissed his top lip gently without thinking.

Aro responded to her by kissing back deeply, causing them both to brake apart in shock. The free exchange of passion
was unlike any contact they had previously encountered. “I’ve never experienced
anything like that before.” Aro said visibly shaking from the encounter and
voicing his thoughts, but he still held out his hand for hers. “Neither have I.” Ariadne replied giving him
her hand. “Perhaps we shouldn’t rush into anything.” She continued but trailed
off as Aro kissed her again. This time
they were both better prepared for the onslaught of emotions and were both
attempting to control them a little, just enough for the experience to be
intense but extremely pleasurable.

“I want you Ariadne.” He said quietly, but his feelings were screaming. Although she didn’t want to admit it she felt the
same. How intimate could this be? They
both wanted to find out.

Pushing Aro’s coat off Ariadne began to unfasten the buttons on his waistcoat, Aro, encouraged by this unlaced the back
of her dress exposing her silk petticoat beneath, through which he could see
the delicate paleness of her flesh. Enveloping her in his arms he began kissing gently down her neck,
sending terrifying waves of uncontrollable desire pulsing through both of
them. She could not and did not want to
resist him now. There was nothing and no
one but him. His lips on her skin were
awakening every sensation with the lightest touch. The scent of him was warm and sensuous like
sandalwood filling her head with its intoxicating musk. Ariadne ran her fingers through his long hair
and inhaled deeply lightly kissing the crown of his head making Aro seek out her
lips with his own. Even the taste of his
mouth made her thirsty for more of him. It was hopeless, Aro too did not think he could stop now even if she
wanted him to and together they fell to the grass locked in their lover’s
embrace, oblivious to anything but themselves.

Just a few hundred yards away from them a young woman awoke from the floor of the gazebo wondering what she was doing
there. Lucretia couldn’t even remember
coming outside, all she recalled vaguely was being asked to dance by an extremely
handsome gentleman with very cold hands. What had happened after that? The
young girl couldn’t be sure but from the state of her garments or the lack
there of, she guessed it hadn’t been altogether an unpleasant evening. But where was this man now and why couldn’t
she remember? Lucretia replaced her
missing clothing and adjusted it, fastening buttons and smoothing out the
wrinkles in her satin gown. Her father
had told her that the Volturi ball would be a great opportunity for her to meet
an important aristocrat with whom the family could ally themselves and with this in mind she should
use her charms to this end, which of course she had. But where was her catch? Raising herself from the floor she decided to
return to the house and seek out Lady Sulpicia. She would know who the mystery man was and could possibly help her
ensnare him too. Making her way across
the clearing towards the house her eyes became fixed on a couple who were
entwined in a passionate embrace out in the open, both totally lost in one
another. Lucretia wondered if the man
was her mysterious stranger, having sought out a new playmate. She decided to get a closer look and hid
herself amongst the surrounding bushes edging her self closer to the
lovers. What she saw made her slightly
relieved but a little puzzled too. Wasn’t the man Sulpicia’s husband and the young woman Sulpicia’s maid to
whom she had been introduced? The wheels
in Lucretia’s scheming mind began to turn and she wondered how useful this
information would be to her. Should she
tell Sulpicia? She decided to keep it to
herself for the time being. Smiling to
herself she hitched up her dress and ran back towards the house.

The morning sun rose pale within a mist of thin clouds illuminating the dew which had settle on the grass overnight. Ariadne looked down at her contented
lover. The couple were still lying
together intertwined on the grass. Aro’s
eyes were closed, his head nestled against the base of her neck tuning in to
her every thought and feeling. His long
dark hair, usually held back from his face was a wild, damp tangle and Ariadne
gently brushed strands away from his eyes to better look at his face. Sighing he opened his eyes and gazed into
hers before reaching up to kiss her moth softly. He then rolled over and pushed her down
beneath him into the wet grass and kissed her deeply. “I know.” He said sadly loosing his grip on
her but continuing to kiss down her jaw line into her neck. Ariadne’s thoughts had begun to stray to her
duties and how she could face her mistress fracturing the temporary bliss
between them. Neither she nor Aro wanted
to break their physical contact. Although at first touching had been almost unbearably intense for them
both, now it had become like an addiction, the exchange of thought and feelings
flowing intimately between them was natural, like breathing for a mortal. She gently pushed against his shoulders and
he reluctantly allowed her to sit up, his eyes smouldering and almost pleading
with her not to leave him just yet. He
was making it hard for her which caused her to become slightly angry at his
disregard for her wellbeing.

“I’m sorry.” He said placing his hand against her cheek momentarily before helping to gather their clothes which had
been abandoned in untidy piles. They
dressed hastily, neither of them looking quite as impeccable as they had last
night. Ariadne began to worry about the
condition of the beautiful gown, would her mistress guess what she had been
doing? It had been too easy to just cast
away the garments in the heat of passion. Now in the pale light of the morning it seemed like a thoughtless and
disrespectful act. Seeing the concern in
her eyes, Aro immediately touched her cheek with his palm and placed his
forehead against hers. “She will think
nothing of these clothes again, but if you like I can make up an alibi for
you.” He said pulling her closer to him and inhaling her scent. “It may have
escaped your notice.” He laughed. “But I have become quite an adept liar,
something I could never do with you.” Ariadne smiled sadly to herself, she knew this to be true, but she also
knew he was not hers’, he belonged to another, no matter how strong his
feelings for her were. Her thoughts yet
again betrayed her to him transferred directly through their contact dissolving
the levity from his countenance. “I am yours; completely.” He said in earnest.

“Now go and make yourself ready. Sulpicia is a clever woman but she is also very vain and will imagine that you were out with anyone other than me should
she hear of your absence. But as this is
obviously troubling you greatly I will arrange for your clothes to be cleaned,
just leave them in your closet. I will
go and hunt, there’s nothing like a twenty mile trek to cover one’s
tracks.” He smiled lovingly and pulled
her close for one last embrace. “Now go
before I can’t let you!” he concluded kissing her with fervour.

Ariadne shivering with lingering passion and a little fear, made her way back towards the kitchens. Aro watched her until she disappeared into
the house then turned in the opposite direction and ran, the scent of fresh
blood in his nostrils driving him on.